Information Constraints and Technology Efficiency: Field Experiments Benchmarking Firms Website Performance

Anwar Adem, Richard Kneller and Qian Li ()

No 10457, CESifo Working Paper Series from CESifo

Abstract: This study examines the influence of information constraints on firms’ efficiency in using digital technologies, focusing on business websites. Through two natural field experiments in the UK, we provide firms with benchmarked performance information on their websites. The experimental designs enable us to assess the salience of the information provided and heterogeneity linked to prior experience and catch-up potential. Our results indicate that performance gaps are not primarily driven by information constraints, as the treatment demonstrates a limited overall impact on motivating firms to improve, with a short-lived effect during the Covid-19 lockdowns. We further support these conclusions using data on website-building software and the number of page views.

Keywords: field experiment; digital technologies; information constraints; performance management; efficiency (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C93 L25 O32 O33 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-eff and nep-exp
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Working Paper: Information constraints and technology efficiency: Field experiments benchmarking firms website performance (2023)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ces:ceswps:_10457

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